Obviously hannible doesn't think will being in prison benefits himself. It's like 2 different kinds of crazy trying to get in each other's mind. I want to see what if anything will has in store for hannible.

Probably for no good reason but I have always felt that while Hannibal does like/respect Will, that respect also keeps him on edge around Will, as he appreciates that Will is probably the only one capable of bringing him down. As such, I feel like he does just enough to make others (maybe just Will) think he is trying to help him, but never enough to every actually help set him free.

I think Hannibal cares about Will for a number of reasons. Not solely for self-preservation (I think he knows that Will, if on to him, will be the one to end his party,) but I also think it's somewhat capricious reasons. Hannibal likes controlling Will when he can and "helping" him maintains that, imo.

The relationship between Hannibal and Will is unlike anything I've seen on television, and certainly within the "Hannibal" canon. I feel like Hannibal is a far more complete character because of Will.

I watched it a bit when it premiered on TV here in Sweden. Saw the first four episodes. But yesterday I started watching the show on Netflix, so I just rewatched the first four episodes and I'm gonna watch the whole first season over the weekend. Or at least that's the plan.I must say, I really like the show. The look of it and the eerie, unsettling atmosphere that's all over it like a thick blanket. Mikkelsen, even though he's no Anthony Hopkins, does a great job. As does Dancy and Fishburne. Looking forward to delving deeper into this show, as the films are some of my all-time favourites, as are the books.

I watched it a bit when it premiered on TV here in Sweden. Saw the first four episodes. But yesterday I started watching the show on Netflix, so I just rewatched the first four episodes and I'm gonna watch the whole first season over the weekend. Or at least that's the plan.I must say, I really like the show. The look of it and the eerie, unsettling atmosphere that's all over it like a thick blanket. Mikkelsen, even though he's no Anthony Hopkins, does a great job. As does Dancy and Fishburne. Looking forward to delving deeper into this show, as the films are some of my all-time favourites, as are the books.

I much prefer Mikkelsen's portrayal. It's more in line with what my mental image of the character (I was way late to the part on SotL, having not seen it from start to finish until after the first season of this had finished airing). But I think his and Hopkins' portrayals compliment each other well. They play the same character, but in vastly different circumstances. Mikkelsen's Hannibal is still a free man killing, counseling, and putting on dinner parties. He still has to act the part of being a normal person to keep away suspicion. With Hopkins, he's behind bars and the charade is over. He has no reason to keep himself in check, thus we see Hannibal as he truly is (presumably).

Crutch wrote:

^^ Season 2 does not disappoint. At least, it hasn't yet but I've still got this last episode to watch.

They play the same character, but in vastly different circumstances. Mikkelsen's Hannibal is still a free man killing, counseling, and putting on dinner parties. He still has to act the part of being a normal person to keep away suspicion. With Hopkins, he's behind bars and the charade is over. He has no reason to keep himself in check, thus we see Hannibal as he truly is (presumably).

That is exactly my read. Hopkins got to chew his scenery (pun intended) more than Mikkelsen can because he doesn't have to hide his true nature anymore.

Indeed. She's changed quite a bit already compared to her literary counterpart, and I really liked Fuller's explanation for why they changed her up. (potential spoilers)

Quote:

Even though, in the novel, Margot at this stage of the story really should be 6 years old— because when she first was in therapy with Dr. Lecter, she was a little girl, and she was horribly molested, and it was very, very dark—I didn’t want to tell that story, so we generalized the sadism of Mason Verger so it wasn’t a sexual sadism. It was more, this is a bad man who, like Hannibal, gets off on what people do under certain circumstances.

In the novel, she’s a very masculine character, who has had years of steroid abuse and is a lesbian, and it was unclear to me in the novel whether she was either transgender or a lesbian as a result of those horrible abuses and that horrible childhood and [Beat.] that’s not how transgenderism or homosexuality works. So I didn’t want to contribute to that misconception of what it is to be transgender or a gay woman.

It was important for her to have a strength to her and the idea of the reason she’s going into therapy not being because she was this victim of horrible abuse. Which she is, in a different way. She grew up with a sadist, who was incredibly cruel and will be even more cruel in the future, but I like the idea that she’s in therapy because she tried to kill him, as opposed to because she was so victimized, that she had taken an active role in her victimization and had enough, tried to turn it around, and it didn’t go well for her.

I really liked that scene she had with Will. The two of them feeling each other out and finding some common ground over their experiences as Dr. Lecter's clients. Margot has the potential to be a very interesting surrogate for Dr. Du Maurier in the sense that they've both drawn Hannibal's attention and can use those experiences to relate to Will. Bedelia was a really important ally for Will because she was the only other person to have suffered by Hannibal's meddling, and she came along at an important point in Will's incarceration. She was a reminder to him that there are others besides him who need Hannibal to be taken down. Now that Will is free and actively going toe to toe with Hannibal and trying to understand him so that he can catch him, he needs an anchor to keep him from sinking too far into Hannibal's mindfuckery and to remind him why he needs to do what he's doing. Bedelia's fled for her life, but Margot could fill the role that Bedelia held for Will.

Wow, that may have been the strangest sex scene ever shown on TV.Also some nifty little dark humor in that episode...."Bitter...at being dead""why don't you cut the ginger"

Watching Will start to reel in Hannibal is fun, to say the least. 3 episodes left in this season?Should be interesting.I read somewhere that if NBC cancels Hannibal, Brian Fuller has potential destinations to finish the series (i can't see it going more than 1 more year, truthfully)

_________________"carried on tidal rise that beckons hearta silent wind that blows a new rebirth"

Fuller has a 7 season plan for the show. So, yeah, I'd be pissed if it gets canceled. I really want to see this show's take on the novels. Bare minimum, I want the show to get a third season. Season 4 is when they'd tackle Red Dragon, so I at the very least want the show to finish out it's prequel arc.

I don't think cancellation is very likely though. NBC has some sort of financing deal with a Canadian company, I think, so the cost to them is relatively low. That totally works in the show's favor when it comes to renewal. It would have to have abysmal ratings for them to cut it, which it doesn't have. Ratings have been down compared to last season, but it went from a Thursday at 10pm time slot to a Friday at 10pm slot this season. Nothing thrives on Fridays, let alone something that late. But the show's ratings have been growing over the last 4 weeks, and as the season finale gets closer there's no real reason to think they won't continue to go up. Not to mention the show is a huge critical hit and has an incredibly dedicated audience. Probably the most dedicated audience for an NBC show behind Community's audience, I'd bet.

The show's biggest problem is that it's on NBC, a broadcast network. It's the oddest duck on broadcast TV and isn't really typical fare for that type of TV. Hannibal is basically NBC's attempt at doing a cable show on broadcast TV. The quality of the show is on par with cable's best dramas, and the format (13 episode seasons) is consistent with the cable drama format. It'd fit right in at some place like FX or even AMC, and would have a better chance to thrive in the world of cable. I think it's a very likely candidate to get picked up elsewhere if it does get canceled, especially if the current financing deal survives the transition. It'd be a good fit at some place like Amazon or Netflix, too. I seem to remember some idle rumblings about Amazon being interested in it if it didn't get renewed for a second season, and it'd be a natural fit there considering they already have season 1 on demand.

I guess if you want some beacon of hope, look at Community. It's never been a ratings hit at NBC, and has been on the verge of cancellation every season, yet renewal for a 6th season seems like nothing but a formality at this point. I see echoes of Community in Hannibal, and the little community college that could has continued to chug along. Yet NBC's financial investment with Community is much higher than it is with Hannibal.

I'm not really sure I want 7 years of the show, as much as I like it. I like the story so far, I'm fine with the changes or adjustments made to the story arc, and characters. I'm not sure I want the Silence of the Lambs story re-done, especially since they'll have to do it without Clarice Starling (lifetime owns the rights to that character.) Im fine with re-re-doing manhunter (red dragon) or hannibal, but the Silence of the Lambs? I love what Fuller is doing with the series, I even think Mikkelsen might be a better Lecter. Hopkins version of Hannibal in Silence is such an iconic portrayal, and the movie is one of my all time favorites. I just don't think anything can be gained by a re-imagining of that story.

My original desire for a 3 year show stands, but a fourth year to do the red dragon story would be fine. Then Fuller needs to get to work on that Pushing Daisies movie.

_________________"carried on tidal rise that beckons hearta silent wind that blows a new rebirth"